Arsenal top market for most festive points

By Mark Langdon 12:13PM 24 DEC 2016

ARSENAL and Manchester United both have plenty of work to do if they want to catch Premier League leaders Chelsea but Paddy Power expect the duo to do damage over the busy festive period where three rounds of fixtures will be played between Boxing Day and January 4.

The Gunners are 10-3 favourites to finish top of the Christmas table (settled on points in the next three games, then goal difference if tied and then goals scored) and Arsene Wenger's men must fancy their chances of a large haul from matches against West Brom (home), Crystal Palace (home) and Bournemouth (away)

After that Arsenal face Swansea (away), Burnley (home) and Watford (home) in the Premier League and bet365 are 6-1 that the north London outfit collect 18 points from the six fixtures.

United, 7-2 in Power's market, also have an easy festive period with home dates against Sunderland and Middlesbrough followed by a trip to West Ham.

Of the other Premier League giants there are tough tests for Manchester City and Liverpool who meet at Anfield on New Year's Eve and Chelsea must go to Tottenham on January 4.

Sam Allardyce will be in the dugout as Palace manager for the first time today and the Eagles are 80-1 in Power's market.

A trip to Watford is followed by another away match at Arsenal before Big Sam's Selhurst Park debut at home to Swansea.

Life could have certainly started easier for Allardyce, who is 11-10 with bet365 to collect between one-three points in those opening three games and 8-1 to win silverware during his Palace tenure.

Ladbrokes are offering 8-15 for no goalless stalemates in the Premier League on Boxing Day and there looks to be a decent opportunity for the Golden Boot pack to close on 13-goal leader Diego Costa, who is banned for the home clash with Bournemouth.

Costa is favourite at 6-4 to claim the top goalscorer honours, while ten-goal Sergio Aguero comes next at 9-2 but he must also sit out Manchester City's trip to Hull through suspension.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a 6-1 shot, trails Costa by two and will be part of a Manchester United team looking to shoot down Sunderland and 5-1 Alexis Sanchez is one off the pace going into Arsenal's home clash with West Brom.

Paddy Power - most Premier League points in next three rounds of matches: 10-3 Arsenal, 7-2 Man Utd, 9-2 Liverpool, 11-2 Chelsea, 6 Man City, 14 Tottenham, 16 Everton, 20 Southampton, 22 Leicester, 66 West Ham, Swansea, 80 Palace, Watford, 100 Middlesbrough, 125 Burnley, Bournemouth, 200 West Brom, 225 Hull, Stoke, 500 Sunderland

Fixtures over the festive period - Dec 26: Watford v Palace, Arsenal v WBA, Burnley v Boro, Chelsea v Bournemouth, Leicester v Everton, Man Utd v Sunderland, Swansea v West Ham, Hull v Man City; Dec 27: Liverpool v Stoke; Dec 28: Southampton v Spurs.

Dec 30: Hull v Everton; Dec 31: Burnley v Sunderland, Chelsea v Stoke, Leicester v West Ham, Man Utd v Boro, Southampton v WBA, Swansea v Bournemouth, Liverpool v Man City; Jan 1: Watford v Spurs, Arsenal v Palace.
Jan 2: Boro v Leicester, Everton v Southampton, Man City v Burnley, Sunderland v Liverpool, WBA v Hull, West Ham v Man Utd; Jan 3: Bournemouth v Arsenal, Palace v Swansea, Stoke v Watford; Jan 4: Tottenham v Chelsea.